From March 1st to March 3rd a group of research students from Dr. Mark Rivardo’s Research Methods and Thesis classes were accepted to present at the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each year, a number of matriculated psychology students apply to present their independent or collaborative research at the conference. The students were awarded a grant from the A.J. Palumbo foundation to cover the travel expenses. PSI CHI (a psychological honor society) members were also offered reimbursement for their registration fee.
Schools from all over the Eastern United States were represented. The conference not only offers undergraduates opportunities to present their findings but also graduate students and professionals. At the conference, there are keynote speakers which represent many different areas of psychology. Also, there are various workshops that focus on topics from getting into graduate school to concentrated areas of being a research advisor.
The students agree that not only does the conference give them a chance to sharpen their presentation skills, they are also able to see their extremely hard work be appreciated.
A word from a few of the attendees:
“I was able to present my collaborative research project that was completed in December in Dr. RIvardo’s Research Methods course. I was so excited to share my research with others and being able to share it with others that were interested in the same topic (childhood trauma) as me was even better. The conference was a great chance to see the diversity of the field of psychology and appreciate the knowledge that I have taken from the faculty at Saint Vincent. I highly suggest any psychology student, no matter their future career path, apply to present their research at EPA. It’s an experience I’ll never forget!” Juli Cehula C’18
“The EPA conference was a great experience to talk to other people in the field of psychology, as well as get to know other people in our own department better! A major takeaway from the experience is to always be open-minded when it comes to research topics because there is always something new and exciting happening in our field. Some advice I have for future presenters is to know your research well and be ready to talk to people about it. Others are eager to hear what you have to say!” Nicole Reitz C’18
“I enjoy EPA because it brings people of diverse backgrounds and experiences together in one place to share knowledge on one particular area of interest that we all love. From this year’s conference, I learned that there is always more to be explored and hat the social aspect of human life is always evolving. As for advice to people who may wish to present in the future, I would tell them to be comfortable and confident in what they share, because any opinion or idea could change the way we view the human mind.” Kyle Ward C’19
“I like EPA because it allows you to see different aspects of psychology that might not ever have thought about. The biggest thing I took away is how helpful and supportive everyone is to each other even if their interests are completely different. Advice for future presenters is definitely to be confident in your work and take pride in what you’ve accomplished! (Side note: you get to make new friends and become close to people you didn’t really know before)” Emily Mackowiak C’18
“EPA gives you a chance to share the research you’ve been working hard on and learn from other people’s research. What I learned from the weekend is that Psychology is an awesome field and that there is so much to learn about it. My advice to future presenters is to be proud of your research. Step out of your comfort zone because it’s an experience that you won’t regret.” Maggie Czapski C’18
The students would like to thank Dr. Rivardo, Dr. Fava, the entire Saint Vincent College Department of Psychological Science, The A.J. Palumbo Foundation, PSI CHI, and the Eastern Psychological Association for all their support for their research!